We are gathering information from all statewide candidates as a resource for the 2024 Primary Elections. Responses were limited to 200 words per question. Political attacks may have been removed, but otherwise, the responses are published unedited.
What is your full name as it will appear on the ballot?
Kaiser Leib
What is your age?
36
Where do you live?
Helena, MT
What is your education background?
Bachelor's in Math and Computer Science from the University of Montana
Please list your current and previous occupations.
Right now I run a stand up comedy production company. Prior to that I ran a tech company (which failed) and I was a software engineer (at a few companies that didn't fail).
What motivated you to seek the office of Governor?
I have been instructed to refrain from political attacks in these answers, so I will say only that I think the voters deserve an alternative to both major party candidates.
What qualifications do you have to lead Montana’s government?
I was born and educated here and I'm not interested in telling anyone how to live or what to believe.
What should be the executive branch’s top three priorities for next legislative session?
Reduced taxes, especially for residential property. Reintroduce and pass the Defend the Guard act to prevent our National Guard troops from being deployed to undeclared wars. Revert SB99.
What changes, if any, should the state make to its tax system?
The state should reduce taxes, with the eventual goal of eliminating them. We should reduce taxes on residential property first.
What steps, if any, should the state take to address the rise in fentanyl-related deaths in Montana?
The black market for drugs is made more dangerous by the state's efforts to prevent their sale and use. Legalizing drugs, including hard drugs, would bring them into the mainstream and allow users safer access to known and tested substances, which would reduce deaths. Allowing people to seek help without fear of criminal charges would make it more likely they'd get the help they need.
What, if anything, should the state do to address climate change?
In accordance with the state Constitution and the court's decision in Held v. Montana, decision makers should consider the environmental consequences (particularly greenhouse gas emissions) of projects before granting permits. In the long term, the global scale of the issue and the relatively small population of the state means that there is little the state government can do, but I am optimistic that we will find a technology and market-based solution even as the rest of the world continues to emit.
What, if anything, should the state do to improve the affordability of housing in Montana?
State intervention always seems to make housing worse. The state should reduce taxes, particularly on residential property, and eliminate building code restrictions which drive up construction costs.
What should the state Land Board prioritize as it manages state trust lands?
The state should prioritize long-term revenues from the use of those trust lands, as is the DNRC's mandate.